Greta is just getting to the age where she will bark if something makes her uncomfortable- like the neighbor hammering on the house next door that they are fixing up. A new sound that she'd never heard before and couldn't see the source of.

As we live in a slightly sketchy neighborhood (with lots of old house charm ), I appreciate barking for things she thinks are out of the ordinary, but once I've checked them out and determined that it's nothing to worry about, what is the best way to teach her to stop?

Hasn't become a problem yet, but I want to make teaching opportunities out of any thing that happens. In the instance at top with the neighbor I grabbed a handful of treats and we started doing some basic obedience to distract her. That's fine for desensitizing but it doesn't teach her to stop.

Along those same lines, how do you teach a dog to bark on purpose? Am I waiting for it to happen naturally and mark-reward-ing? I could potentially see instances where a barking dog might encourage strangers- or annoying sales people for that matter- at the door to go elsewhere. Not talking protection, just noise-making.

I've heard others say that you should teach them to bark so they will understand what no bark means.

I've never tried it that way but what I've always done is teach a dog "no".

"No" means to stop whatever your doing no matter what it is.

I've always taught that with a correction and that means on the leash so I can keep them close and a finger poke in the ribs.

My dogs have also learned that a simple tap on the window from in the house means "no".

I'e always done that and I think that started yrs ago with an open window with the tap then a "no".

They put it together IF your consistent but the initial "no" has to be solid before you add/switch over to the tap.

The down side to teaching a stop the barking is that your not always going to be there when they bark.

How to make a dog bark on purpose?

I began training this within a course of Mark Keating. You can try it in all kind of ways, e.g. keep him bored until he starts barking, using a situation when he barks naturally and mark/reward this, make him bark with something you know it ennerves him etc.

For my dogs the greatest chance was (I thought!) to wait until they feel bored. With all of them it was hopeless and I once broke this exercise up and then slightly annoyed I said "wuff!" and walked away. Strangely this was the trigger for that dog to start barking. Two of the others watched all this and when it was their turn they did it too. Much later I nodded with the head when I said "wuff". In between if I merely nod, they start to bark.

Then they learned the "quiet"-command. Whith this they stopped barking immediately and kept staring at me for an endless time. Sounds almost perfect.

BUT it worked during the training sessions only. Within real life situations it helps, when I'm near to them and can reward them. But when neighbour's dogs barked or unknown people turned up and so on, they didn't bother at all about it.

After some time I put my question about this here and then followed Bob's way. They know well the "No", though I still use the "quiet", as they already were so used to it.

It was necessary to go to them, touch their collar and say my word in a calming way, kind of telling them: You can stop now alerting, it is my task now to look that everything's ok. After some training it also worked when I knocked at the open window, later also on the closed one, though they always needed to see me.

If they can't see me, they don't shut up yet. Hope some day they'll reach that level too. Hopeless it is in the middle of the night. But this is obviosly my own fault, because I don't want to get up seven or more times. Means I'm not consistent 7/24.

At least during they day it works. Difficulties I had and have sometimes, when my husband did the contrary. When they bark it ennerves him and he shouts at them. I guess they understand this like a barking and they probably feel their own barking as justified. I think in such things all members of the family should be on the same page.

As far as have gained experience, I think, it is good to learn the different ways of barking. Is it alerting, needing to go potty etc. or just wanting us to be with them?
When I hear it is just the last example, then I ignore it, because coming to them would mean reinforcing.

Once it was a clear alert. There was a poisonous snake hidden within the waterhoses on a wall. Without the alert we wouldn't have noticed it.

I broke down and bought a bark limiter. Harry is like that, but barks when he is tethered outdoors when I am collecting wood, when company is heard, or when he sees anyone walking. And now also in the car, especially when one if us leave the vehicle.
My ears are still ringing, as we had to take him to town for his puppy rabies shot.
I had originally tried your way Bob, but the poke did not faze him. I sat in the back with him to keep him from climbing the seats.
I had prev taught my first dog Vinny to speak, than to quiet. It never affected his barking at trespassers or door knocking. But it never curbed whining. My female put mix was taught the same. But she never barked. She was way too laid back.
I will be following this thread Carolyn! Will be interesting to try something else so I can put the earplugs away!

And to clarify, I do not plan on using the bark collar until I need to, when he is much older! Just want to make sure I got one on hand, when all else fails!

I have no experience with the bark limiter. Would love to know what experience you'll make with it, so i could perhaps use one in the night.

To the No and the poke of Bob: It takes some time until the dog understands what the meaning of this is. He needs to learn to associate his behavior with the consequence. This can't happen after only a few trials. I had to do this consistently during weeks varios times a day. Maybe there are dogs who learn it much quicker or/and handlers who teach it better.

 Quote: Carolyn Pike Roman

Greta is just getting to the age where she will bark if something makes her uncomfortable- like the neighbor hammering on the house next door that they are fixing up. A new sound that she'd never heard before and couldn't see the source of.

As we live in a slightly sketchy neighborhood (with lots of old house charm ), I appreciate barking for things she thinks are out of the ordinary, but once I've checked them out and determined that it's nothing to worry about, what is the best way to teach her to stop?

I have Educator NO Bark e-collars for my Dobies when they go out in the backyard @ 5:AM -- Nearby neighbors would NOT be pleased if my dogs Barked at that hour ... They learn on "day one" NOT to BARK while Wearing that Collar !!! But INSIDE the HOUSE whether I'm at home or out, I prefer that they DO BARK to ward off unwanted Creeps & Critters, so then they go Collar-Less

For teaching a dog to Bark on Command: I have always associated a Word or Sound with encouraging & rewarding their BARK -- I use a guttural "?Wazzat?" and get very EXCITED when they Bark at noises Naturally ... They understand PDQ that you are HAPPY they're Barking And as Bob has already said, training the "Enough!" command or the "NO" works to turn off their barking, if they persist too long.

When using any physical correction such as the finger poke I mentioned it MUST be firm enough to be effective.

That may take a few times to get the dog to understand it as a correction.

Starting out to hard may work immediately but then you have no where to go later if it starts loosing it's value.

Similar to beginning a new behavior with no reward or correction.

It has no value one way or the other.

ANY behavior MUST have a reward or correction to fit the behavior/misbehavior at a level the "individual" dog understands.

I understand that point Bob. Jim tells me that daily. Too soft from me, that I can guarantee.
I have arthritis in all knuckles, so I guess the finger poke is not for me.
Sorry to hijack Carolyn! Still going to follow, as all tools are valuable for me!
And I do wish to see what works for you.!